One of the most eminent and controversial scientists of this century, nuclear physicist Edward Teller is perhaps best known for his role in the development of nuclear weapons at Los Alamos National Laboratory during World War II. Often called the “father of the hydrogen bomb,” he also played a controversial role in the loss of security clearance by J. Robert Oppenheimer, the former director of Los Alamos. More recently Teller has been an outspohen advocate of defensive weap- ons, including the proposed Strategic Defense Initiative.
Born in Budapest in 1908, Teller was educated in Hungary and Germany, receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Leipzig in 1930. He came to the United States in 1935 and was naturalized as a citizen in 1941. He has served on the faculties at George Washington University, the University of Chicago and the University of California and received honorary degrees from more than a ...
